BOXING DAY

The Boxing Day Test match is always a special moment for all the players and the occasion in itself can at times get big on the players. But as they say it, the biggest of moments and the greatest of players are made for each other and Steven Smith is...

New Delhi: India did try to turn the sledge handle towards Australia at the Gabba but the tactic probably backfired and Mitchell Johnson, who was at the receiving end while batting, came up trumps.
Michael Bevan said that Australian's relish the verbal banter and opposition teams should never use it...

Melbourne: India have got a major boost ahead of the third Test as Bhuvneshwar Kumar in all likelihood will feature in India's Test XI at the MCG.
Bhuvneshwar, who was nursing a left ankle injury that forced his exclusion from the first two Tests, on Tuesday was seen batting without any...

Melbourne: Australian batsman Chris Rogers on Tuesday said he'd love nothing more than an opening-day century in the Boxing Day Test against India, starting on Friday.
"To go out and play in a second Boxing Day Test, that's something you dream of and can't take away. Hopefully, I can get a...

Wellington: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is set to return to his customary middle-order slot for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting in Christchurch on Boxing Day.
McCullum opened with Tom Latham in all three Tests during the recent series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, scoring a double-century...

Melbourne: An Ashes series that promised so much has all but fizzled with Australia taking an unassailable 30 lead, but Melbourne's Boxing Day Test offers some intrigue as to whether England will continue to selfdestruct or salvage some pride from a turbulent campaign.
Arriving as comfortable winners of the northern Ashes...

Australia have been more dominant and ruthless in winning the Ashes than the victorious England side were earlier this year, paceman Peter Siddle said on Monday.
England defeated Australia 30 in the fivematch home series in JulyAugust before quickly handing the terracota urn back after three comprehensive defeats in the first...

Australia's fast bowling stocks got some welcome news on Tuesday after James Pattinson suggested he could be fit in time for matches later in the Ashes series against England.
The first Ashes Test, where the visitors will begin their quest for a fourth successive series victory, begins on Thursday at the...

Sydney: All tickets for the opening day of the Ashes Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground have sold, raising the prospect of a world record crowd, Cricket Australia said on Friday.
The rush to see Australia face England in the fourth Test has raised the possibility that the official...

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has no illusions about the hostile reception awaiting his team at Melbourne Cricket Ground but insists it will only spur the tourists in the second Test against Australia starting on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka do not have particularly fond memories of the MCG, where their spin great...

Australia will not risk playing captain Michael Clarke in next week's second Test against Sri Lanka if he is not fully fit, chairman of selectors John Inverarity said on Sunday.
Clarke is doubtful for the Melbourne Test starting on Wednesday after a hamstring problem forced him to retire hurt while batting...

Ed Cowan believes his partnership with swashbuckling lefthander David Warner at the top of the order is a work in progress which could turn out to be a long and fruitful one for Australia.
Cowan, who has opened in 11 Tests alongside Warner, said the duo were trying to get to...

Melbourne: Paceman Peter Siddle has backed Australia's attack to shrug off a glut of injuries that have hit the team's fast bowling stocks ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka starting on Wednesday.
Australia, who have won just one of their past four Tests, have enjoyed precious little continuity in...

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has decided to revamp their international season for the 201213, and the first casualty is the Boxing Day Test match in Johannesburg. Jacques Faul, CSA's acting chief executive, said the new schedule which has five Tests, eight ODIs and five Twenty20s spread across eight venues...

London: The main accused in the murder of Indian student Anuj Bidve in Salford in Britain on December 26, 2011 pleaded guilty on Friday in a Manchester court. Kiaran Stapleton admitted to shooting 23yearold Bidve in an unprovoked attack on the Boxing Day.
Stapleton, 21, admitted...

Sydney: Ed Cowan could be rewarded handsomely by Cricket Australia for his impressive Test debut against India as the opener looks set to sign a USD 100,000plus national contract if he plays in the third Test in Perth starting on Friday.
Cowan, who won his baggy green in the Boxing Day...

New Delhi: The Indian media on Friday lashed out at the country's famed batting lineup for letting the team down in the opening Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Chasing a 292run target on Thursday, India failed to cope with Australia's pace attack as they were shot out...

Melbourne: Australia's new fast bowling star James Pattinson continued his meteoric rise with a ManoftheMatch allround performance in the first Test thrashing of India in Melbourne on Thursday.
Pattinson, just 21, has made a huge impression in his three Tests this season and picked up his second ManoftheMatch award with six...

Melbourne: Australia skipper Michael Clarke's faith in his underfire senior pros Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey went a long way in securing his team's crushing 122run win over India in the first Test in Melbourne on Thursday, feels former India captain Sourav Ganguly.
"The captain is so important and Clarke has...

Melbourne: After two years of experimentation, disappointment and unfulfilled promise, Australia may finally have found a bowling lineup they can stick with.
Pace bowlers James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus stamped their authority over one of cricket's most experienced batting lineups when Australia beat India by 122 runs on the...

Melbourne: India skipper MS Dhoni admitted India must find a way to run through the lowerorder quickly, in the aftermath of the 122run loss to Australia in the first Test at the MCG on Thursday.
The visitors' inability to polish off the tail had a telling effect on the outcome of...

Melbourne: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the onfield umpires should be more consistent with their decisions, rather than relying on the content_cnious Decision Review System (DRS).
The lack of DRS went in India's favour in the first Test against Australia with some of the decisions going their way, especially in...

Melbourne: Former Australian Test fast bowler Craig McDermott was hailed for the great job he has done with the pace battery since taking over in May as the bowling coach.
The results were evident in the first Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the Australian pacers picked up 19 of...

Melbourne: The tailenders' gritty show was among the many positives that Australia skipper Michael Clarke listed after his team's crushing 122run victory over India in the first Test in Melbourne on Thursday.
"The most pleasing aspect was to see the tail wag and get critical runs in both the innings....

Melbourne: James Pattinson is relishing the success against a starstudded Indian batting lineup as his superb bowling effort resulted in Australia's comprehensive 122run win in the first Test in Melbourne on Thursday.
The youngster returned match figures of six for 108 and also scored critical 18 and 37 runs in the...